C is for Crochet

Reblogging this from Knot Magick: A post about the potential for trance, intentionality, Wandering, and spellcraft in fibre arts. This one’s about crochet, but as a knitter, spinner, and (sometimes) weaver, this has potential across the spectrum of these arts.

Knot Magick

Crochet is magick, people might think that I am a little strange to be say it but its true. If you’ve ever been hooking away at a Granny Square and had the Goddess tap on your shoulder you will know what I mean. There is nothing more meditative than a repeating pattern and its not unusual for me to find myself in a trance state and my mind open to suggestion. I also find that I am more free in mind to write rituals and chants whilst I am working and alwas have something to hand to jot ideas down on.

One of my first experience of Hekate outside of ritual was whilst I was making a cushion cover using a granny square pattern. I found myself walking the halls of a local hospice with Hekate as she guided the dead to the next world and came back to find…

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Crystals For Creativity

Reblogging this from The Raven Scribe, in part so I can find it again, later. Stones for creativity-magic. 🙂

C is for Chakras – Pagan Blog Project 2014

Hey there, all.
 
So, in the interests of having some Plans for tomorrow evening’s Imbolg ritual, I’ve suggested that we do some kind of meditation that involves waking up our lower two-or-three chakras (root, for reason of roots, and belly, for reasons of the literal meaning if “Imbolg”, and genitals for reasons of “I don’t want to skip that one” and also “germination”… even though I personally want to steer clear of the pregnancy conotations of the Day).
In the interests of not being a ritual freeloader, I’ve offered to find/modify/come-up-with an appropriate meditation so that All The Things aren’t stuck on the gal who’s offered to host the thing.
 
Anyway. What I’ve got in mind is very much the idea of “chakra system as flame / body as forge”, starting with breathing on the hot coals so that, with each cycle of breath they glow brighter-and-dimmer-and-brighter until we get to the point where orange flames start to flicker and dance, and we feed it again, with our breath as the bellows, until there’s a strong blaze going and the flames are climbing higher, flashing yellow-gold at their tips… and so-on.
 
The trick is, I’m not sure what to do with that energy once it’s raised. Push it towards parts of life that need some transformative/creative power, most likely, I just don’t know where. :-\
 
Wish me luck on this one, folks.
 
 
TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden.

New Moon – Ice Moon Begins

Ice Moon officially began a couple of days ago and, right on cue, the temperature climbed into melt-and-refreeze territory.
The buds are starting to show on the maples and the magnolia up the street. I’m going to an Imbolg ritual tomorrow evening (and need to dig up some fire-in-the-belly / spark of life / root-chakra-awakening meditations for same – wish me luck on that one) and I’m about to make the cherry-chocolate-almond cake for it (along with one – same recipe – for this evening’s Beef Bourgineon dinner at a friend’s place). I have bread rising and a new batch of stock starting in the slow cooker. I want it to be a quiet day.
 
I generally associate Ice Moon with, well, ice, sure. But also hope, clean slates, self-care, seed sellection, and forming/sticking-with good habits. I’m not doing much in the way of seed sellection right now but self care is hollering at me for some attention (I blame PMS, honestly, combined with nerves about next week’s conference and the potential over-socialization that I could be in for).
 
I’m trying to keep hope in my heart, for a lot of reasons, as this moon grows. By the time it crests, I’ll be heading to the doctor’s again and hopefully all my fears will be for nothing – or at least for very, very little, which would be nice. (Think good thoughts for me?)
 
It looks like the Spirit Work 101 is about to get started, so I’ll have to watch my email for the next day or two on that front.
 
Time for me to bake that cake.
 
 
TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden. 🙂